I successfully made it to 50 and completed my goal to Blog daily about the experience. Now it's a New Year and time for new beginnings... Join me as I chronicle life as an active political operative, writer, empowerment speaker, mom to three sons, wife, daughter, runner, friend, and mentor. We're going to have fun so please come along for the ride!

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Sunday, August 8, 2010

Day 112: Signifigant Friendships In Death

I attended a Celebration of Life today for a special friend of someone I care about. This woman was one of the original walking trainers for the very first Avon 3 Day Breast Cancer Walk back in 1998. That was the year that sister Michele and family gal pal Cheri and I all took this amazing journey together.

Our Mom had passed away just a few years before and it felt like the right project to throw our energy into. It was the VERY FIRST of the "walk" type charities that you now hear about daily. It was 25 miles per day for three days straight. We walked from Santa Barbara to Malibu, California. We slept in tents the two nights we were on the road. It was an amazing experience.So there was a woman named Suzanne(which happens to be our Mom's name!) who put together training sessions in advance of our walk in order to train the folks participating on this trek. We would meet at Coldwater Canyon Park and walk up the trails. I was not a regular, choosing to train on my own time schedule as I had three little tots and needed to work around their schedules, but Cheri was a regular and remained friends with Suzanne until her unfortunate death a few months ago. Cheri was left the executor of Suzanne's estate and today she hosted a beautiful memory to Suzanne's life. Women who were involved in the Avon walk for the past dozen years were all in attendance sharing their thoughts and memories of Suzanne.Suzanne had been a survivor of breast cancer. When the horrible disease reared its ugly head again in her life, she knew it was just too much for her to fight. She opted for another course. Suzanne didn't have any family in the area, and trusted Cheri enough to give her the difficult task of taking care of her effects after her death. Suzanne would be proud with what Cheri has accomplished. Today was a lovely ceremony about the beautiful life Suzanne lived, not the tragic circumstances in which she left us.We should all have a friend who will be so committed, loving, kind, respectful and sensitive when we pass. Especially in the absence of family. Cheri has been that person to Suzanne and so today I attended to support both Suzanne's life and Cheri's commitment to the value of a life.May we all live our life so that it is rich with friendship and with people who are willing to care for us even when we are absent from the earth. May Suzanne rest in peace wherever her soul and spirit have landed.

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About Me

Robyn Ritter Simon

Robyn will be 49 on April 17, 2010. She decided to start a blog chronicling her year leading up to the milestone of turning 50 (which all women can relate to as being a big deal!)
Visit Robyn’s website to read her bio (it's a work in progress), thanks!